Navigation between video clips.

DCube wrote on 2/19/2019, 11:09 AM

Hello,

I have used Vegas before, however, I am a bit new in DVD architect. I have many videos that are aligned in order from 1 to 10. The viewer requests to see all the ten videos in that order, however, also wants to have the option available to replay the previously seen video, or go a video back, prior to eventually choosing to see the next one.

So basically, the viewer might want to see videos 1, 2, 3, 4, then see 4 again, perhaps 4 once more, then see 5, go back to 4, see 5 again, then 6, and then 6 again, 7, 8, 9, and lastly 10. Each time, when a video is over, the viewer should be consulted whether they want to move to the next video, repeat the same video, or go back to the previous video, and should be consulted on buttons on the screen (not remote control buttons that are seen in the preview) because the videos could be played in a computer.

Now, I understand that this can be done with buttons. But, can DVD architect hold still the last frame in say video 1 in the main menu and present the buttons to go back, repeat, or next, on such a still frame? Further, can the same process be repeated when the viewer chooses to go to the 2nd video, and now the 2nd videos last frame also be frozen and presented in the main menu while the viewer is choosing what other video do they want to watch?

Always the last frame of every video to be presented in the main menu is what I am asking whether DVD architect could cover?

Thanks,

DCube

 

 

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 2/19/2019, 6:44 PM

The best way to do this is to add each video as a separate button on your menu. Then create a Playlist that will play all of the videos through and create a separate button for it and call it Play All.

This way your viewer will have the option of watching each video and returning to the menu after each or playing the entire batch through with one click.

Will that do what you're trying to do?

(Meantime I hope you'll check out the link to the free Basic Training tutorial series I made for DVD Architect. You can get to it by clicking the Tutorials link at the top of this page.)

DCube wrote on 2/20/2019, 3:43 AM

Hi Steve,

Yeah, this option came to my mind, however, the user finds it confusing. The user does not wants to "come out of it at all" while watching my videos. Hence, I figured, if the last frame of each video is presented as a background in the main menu, then once the video is over its last frame would appear in the main menu and would create an illusion of continuity. The buttons to go to the previous video, repeat current video, or move to the next video could be presented with buttons in the main menu, and there, the user would see it as a continuous video material and be satisfied!

I saw your videos in Youtube, however, they are at a basic level. With your intermediary skills, do not you have a solution to this my query?

I hope what I ask does not requires involving scripts into the DVD Architect application!

Regards,

DCube

Steve Grisetti wrote on 2/20/2019, 6:57 AM

I guess I'm not clear what you're trying to do, DC. I don't know what you mean when you say "The user does not wants to come out of it at all" and "the last frame of each video is presented as a background in the main menu".

Is there something you can link to that shows something similar happening?

DCube wrote on 2/20/2019, 7:52 AM

The site that I wanted to link you with that had an example also had a paywall. Further, that site now is gone altogether because one had to use purchased book codes to see the videos in the site. As new volumes of the book got published, the older ones (that I had) have now been put down from the site!

However, I shall try to clarify as much as I can.

Basically, it is about continuity between video chapters. When one video ends, the user wishes to not be interrupted by being taken to the menu with a different background. Rather, the user wishes to decide which chapter to watch next right at the end of the just seen video chapter.

I do not know how to do that. One idea that came to my mind was to use DVD architect and set up the main menu background to present the last frame of the video chapter. That way, when the user sees chapter one and is taken to the main menu to decide which video chapter to see next (think buttons at this point, not all chapters presented in the main menu), the user would see the last frame of the just seen chapter 1 and would have the navigation buttons. The user would believe that they are still in the first video chapter (since the last frame of that 1st chapter would be depicted in the main menu's background) and could decide which next video to see there!

That idea could work for the first chapter. However, the second chapter has a different image in its own last frame. Should the user watch the second chapter, then, when they return to the main menu, they would still see the 1st chapters' last image presented (and not the 2nd video chapters' last image), which would break the illusion that they are navigating from within one video chapter to the other.

Thereby, I was asking if DVD architect could always shift the background in the main menu. Specifically, could the background in the main menu always change to depict the last frame of the recently seen video chapter?

Of course, there maybe other ways altogether to promote continuity between video images without always going back to the main menu in order to navigate between video chapters?

All that is sought is navigation buttons while within a video chapter, and not the main menu (unless the main menu could be changed to make it appear as if the user is still in a particular video chapter).

I hope I clarified my requirement? Should You or anyone else have any other question regarding this requirement, please do not hesitate to ask me?

Regards,

DCube

Steve Grisetti wrote on 2/21/2019, 7:16 AM

I'm not sure what to tell you, DC. You can certainly have your viewer return to the menu page after each video -- but I know of no way to indicate which videos have been viewed by showing last frame of the video rather than the first.

Robbie wrote on 3/8/2019, 2:48 AM

It’s been a while so not sure if you are still looking for a solution.

Simplest option to do what I think you are describing would be:

  • Create your main menu (MAIN MENU) with separate links to each of the 10 clips.
  • Then create another 10 menus (not sub menus) each with the final frame of one of the clips as the background and with links to the other nine clips (10 if you want to also include a “play again” option for the just finished clip).  Name them something like CLIP 1 END MENU, CLIP 2 END MENU etc).
  • In the “Project Overview” window (left of screen) double click on each of the clips.  In the “Properties” window (right side of screen) set the “End Action” destination to the relevant clip’s end menu (eg the end action for Clip 1 would be to go to CLIP 1 END MENU)

Hope that Helps

Cheers, Robbie